Customers are the lifeblood of a small business but what about the few customers that actually cost a business money?
Say you’ve done work or produced a product for a customer, and now the customer wants to keep their money (and most likely your work as well). Non-paying customers can be detrimental to cash flow, so how can you get your payment before it hurts your business?
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17 picks from 17 2017 small business summer reads lists; plus the most mentioned new business book and the most touted business-related novel.
It is time once again for the annual Tip of the Week Small Business Summer Reading List. These books work as well for vacation reading as they do for weekend escapes and relaxation breaks from your busy days. Culled from several notable lists of 2017’s top titles, these selections will satisfy your every reading need from an escape into a fictional world to brushing up on your business and leadership skills.
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Just because you’re rocking the small business life doesn’t mean you can’t steal a few marketing tactics from the big guys. We’ve scoped out the top marketing trends big brands are paying attention to right now, with ideas for how to make them your own.
Here are 5 ways to give your small business a boost.
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The title of this post is definitely loaded, and the double meaning is fully intended. Getting customer service “right” as part of your small business operations is critical to your success. That means the right hires, the right training, the right tools (from scripts to knowledgebase to CRM and ticketing systems), the right coaching, and most importantly the right mindset for not only your care team itself but the entire organization. It also means front line representatives that give correct, accurate information to customers that solves problems rather than exacerbating them.
Getting both right is not easy, but it can pay enormous dividends in terms of satisfied loyal customers who not only provide a consistent revenue stream via repeat purchases, but also turn into your brand promoters.
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As a small business owner on the top of your game you need to take advantage wherever you can—and that includes putting your senses to work for you (as well as using your common sense) to gain a competitive advantage. The following sense-based tips will help you hone your game by perfecting the art of eye contact, improving your listening skills, employing touch strategically (and appropriately), currying customer favor with brand building treats, and keeping your company secure by fine-tuning your phishy smell detector.
Lynn Fitzgerald was fortunate enough to escape the foster care system, yet the difficulties she faced as a child, were not easily forgotten. She founded the children’s literacy non-profit, Turnaround Toys to bring comfort to children facing similar circumstances.
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Today is July 4th; Independence Day for the USA. In honor of the holiday—a time spent flag waving, parade marching, BBQ eating, fireworks watching, and just plain celebrating what we love about our country—this week’s Tip waves the flag for small business and helps you stay out of the RED, master the art of turning blank slate WHITEspace into killer content, and conquer the BLUEs that occasionally threaten entrepreneurial spirit.
It finally happened: you’ve brought in enough customers to necessitate hiring a customer support (CS) team.
Congratulations!
Whether your team provides in-person support at your store or virtual support from your office, turning your sights on customer happiness is a crucial — and exciting — milestone in growing your business.
Unfortunately, there’s often a discrepancy between how happy companies believe their customers are, and how happy customers feel. Eighty percent of companies believe they deliver superior customer service, while only 8% of customers think those same companies deliver superior customer service.
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One of my very biggest pet peeves is people who read their PowerPoint slides—for me that’s right up there with screeching fingernails across a blackboard to grab attention, off-color jokes that unsettle the audience, and clipart clearly imported from a 1990’s image CD, as the most cringeworthy presentation killers. And, I’m clearly not alone—the preponderance of poor PowerPoint presenters and presentations caused the coining of its very own derogatory phrase, “Death by PowerPoint.”
But, Death by PowerPoint isn’t inevitable. Remember, a tool is only as effective as you are at wielding it. These tips will help you resuscitate PowerPoint to create compelling presentations for your small business.
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We get it: setting up and running a side hustle can take up all of your spare time, and then some. But it doesn’t have to, especially if you follow our tips for being super-efficient with what little time you have. These are all actionable steps you can take right now to eke out a little extra time in your day—whether you’re looking to invest it back into your business or to spend it on you know, yourself!
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